Removable and transportable fixed disk drive data storage subsystems are known. Removable modules including fixed disk drives provide a considerable amount of transportable data storage capacity. Thus, customized operating system-application-data base software may be transported by the user from one computer to another, providing both are equipped with compatible receptacle or base units for receiving the module. Also, removable disk drive modules are used where data security is an important consideration. A pertinent example of one form of prior fixed disk drive data storage system is found in the descriptions of commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,041,924 and 5,065,262 to Blackborow et al., both entitled "Removable and Transportable Hard Disk Subsystem"; and, in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 311,737 to Westwood et al., entitled "Removable Hard Disk Drive Module". The disclosures of these prior patents are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
While the module described in the referenced prior patents worked very well, it had certain drawbacks. A principal drawback was that it was assembled and loaded with a head and disk assembly by skilled labor at the factory and did not lend itself to field assembly and configuration. Another drawback was that one of the covers was affixed to a molded plastic frame e.g. by an adhesive. A third drawback was that the module did not lend itself to field configuration and installation of one of a wide variety of low profile fixed disk drives having a uniform overall form factor and various storage capacities. A further drawback was that the shock mounting mechanism employed in the prior module acted in shear with respect to Z-axis force loading (the Z-axis being understood as a force axis normal to the parallel planes of the major data storage surfaces of the storage disk being shock mounted).
These and other drawbacks have been overcome by the present invention.